Linear bearings are used for a number of purposes, for instance ball conveyors as shown in GB Patent No 543,524 (Curran) and GB Patent No 1,263,456 (NRDC). The principle 8 of ball conveyors has been used for moving loads such as boxes or work pieces and also for patients in a hospital.
The present invention is also designed in different forms to cope with the problem of moving objects of the same width as above including heavy structures like bridge components as well as for handling patients.
Rescue stretchers are either rigid or flexible and are normally placed to one side of a patient who is then lifted or rolled (termed “log rolled”) on to the stretcher. Both methods of placing the patient on the stretcher are dangerous since spinal injuries can be aggravated by the action of lifting or rolling. In order to prevent further injury where spinal injury has already occurred, it is clearly necessary if possible, to move the patient onto a stretcher without disturbing the patient, particularly moving the patient's head relative to the rest of the patient's body.